HELPING COMMUNITIES LEARN HOW TO HELP EACH OTHER. PAPER PRESENTED AT THE NATIONAL SEMINAR ON ADULT EDUCATION RESEARCH (CHICAGO, FEBRUARY 11-13, 1968).

MENLO, ALLEN

A TEST WAS MADE OF THE THEORY THAT THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN A REGION OF COMMUNITIES WOULD BE MORE HEALTHY AND PRODUCTIVE AS THE CONDITIONS OF INTER-COMMUNITY ACCEPTANCE, TRUST, INTERDEPENDENCE, AND COOPERATIVENESS INCREASED. TEAMS OF THREE TO FIVE LEADERS FROM EACH OF 18 SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES ATTENDED SEMI-MONTHLY SEMINARS, DIAGNOSED CHANGES NEEDED TO GAIN CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT, AND PLANNED STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE. GOALS WERE DEFINED AS A MORE ADEQUATE FLOW OF INFORMATION BETWEEN COMMUNITIES, MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR TRAINING, AND INCREASED INTEREST AND PARTICIPATION OF CITIZENS. AN INTER-COMMUNITY TEAM WAS FORMED AND ASSUMED RESPONSIBILITY FOR INITIATING MOVEMENT TOWARD THE REGIONAL GOALS. IT WAS FOUND THAT THOSE CITIZENS WITH A HIGH LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION IN THE PROJECT DEVELOPED MORE POSITIVE AND OPTIMISTIC PERCEPTIONS OF THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES AND INCREASED THEIR READINESS TO WORK WITH CITIZENS FROM OTHER COMMUNITIES. (APPENDED ARE TABLES, CHARTS, AND QUESTIONNAIRES.) THIS PAPER WAS PRESENTED AT THE NATIONAL SEMINAR ON ADULT EDUCATION RESEARCH, CHICAGO, FEBRUARY 11-13, 1968. IT ALSO APPEARS IN LETTER TO SCHOOLS, VOLUME 20, NUMBER 4, MARCH 1968, PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, BUREAU OF SCHOOL SERVICES. (RT)